Baltimore Technologies has set up headquarters in Dubai Internet City, with the hope that it can capitalise on the region's e-commerce boom.

The company has been acting as a partner to Comtrust through the Etisalat business unit’s deployment of Baltimore’s UniCert certificate management system, and has just signed a technology partnership with Hewlett-Packard.

“Dubai is the IT centre of the Middle East, with government and business enterprises being amongst the the leading adapters of e-business practices,” commented Robert Legge, senior vice president, EMEA business development, Baltimore Technologies. “The opening of the Dubai office, Baltimore Technologies’ first in the Middle East, recognises the importance of the market and the increasing need and opportunities for e-security.”

Legge went on to specifically comment on the state of IT security in the Middle East, stating that he felt that it was far too ‘negatively focused’ with too much concentration on ‘protection and not prevention.’

“PKI, for instance, is the type of technology which allows for a broader view of security and allows the e-commerce provider more control. You still have very strong authentication. Content can be controlled,” said Legge. “Baltimore focuses on the delivery of e-security which allows people do business over the Web in relatively trustworthy fashion.”

Other than UniCert, Baltimore’s range of products include Telepathy wireless e-security solutions, Baltimore KeyTools, a new family of e-security products, SolutionsPlus security based business solutions and SelectAccess, a portfolio of security based business solutions and SelectAccess, an authorisation management package. All of the products have been developed using open standards.